Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and City Councilmember Nithya Raman have called for an investigation after police officers shot and killed a two-year-old dog on Saturday while responding to a noise complaint that turned out to be a family celebrating the New York Knicks’ NBA championship win. The killing of the golden Saint Bernard doodle named Jameson has drawn widespread outrage, with a viral video showing the dog’s owner sobbing over his body, and a GoFundMe campaign raising more than $170,000.
On Saturday, Los Angeles Police Department officers responded to a radio call about a “screaming woman” in the Canoga Park neighborhood, about 30 miles from downtown Los Angeles, which turned out to be celebratory noise in reaction to the Knicks’ NBA championship win, according to police.
Upon arriving, police said, the person who reported the noise directed them to an apartment where a woman was inside with a large dog by her side barking at the officers. The woman was instructed to secure the dog, at which point she closed her door, police said. When she reopened the door, police said, the dog slipped out and charged at an officer, resulting in the shooting.
In a video of the aftermath that has gone viral on social media, a woman identified by NBC News as Marie Marseille, the dog’s owner, can be seen sobbing and hugging the body of her dog. “The Knicks just won the championship. We were just so happy. We just celebrating the Knicks,” Marseille said in the video.
Marseille told NBC that Jameson had snuck past her legs and was shot twice within seconds. “He wasn’t doing anything. He didn’t do anything. I know he didn’t. I know he didn’t,” she told the outlet.
Mayor Karen Bass said in a Wednesday statement that she had spoken to Police Chief Jim McDonnell to ensure an investigation. “Every life lost to violence is a tragedy, and we know that the devastating loss of Jameson will be felt by his family forever,” Bass said. “I will make sure that the investigation is thorough and transparent so that Angelenos have a complete understanding of what happened to Jameson and this family.”
City Councilmember Nithya Raman, who is running against Bass in November’s mayoral election, urged the LAPD to “promptly” release body-worn camera footage from the incident in a Tuesday post on X. “I’m horrified by what happened in Canoga Park on Saturday. My heart is with Jameson’s family,” Raman wrote. “Whatever the investigation ultimately finds, the outcome of this incident is unacceptable, and shakes an already fragile trust in our public safety system. Los Angeles deserves a public safety response where a joyful family celebration does not end in tragedy.”
A GoFundMe campaign named “Justice for Jameson” has amassed more than $170,000 in donations, surpassing the requested $10,000. “Anyone who’s met Jameson would tell you he is the sweetest boy in the world,” the fundraiser’s description read.